Multiple circuit electric switch for use in telephone fire alarm warning systems and the like



Jan. 3, 1967 B. A. SMYSER MULTIPLE CIRCUIT ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR USE IN TELEPHONE FIRE ALARM WARNING SYSTEMS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 27. 1964 Ber-7 HSmyser INVENTOR.

United States Patent MULTIPLE CIRCUIT ELECTRIC SWITCH FOR USE IN TELEPHONE FIRE ALARM WARNING SYS- TEMS AND THE LIKE Bert A. Smyser, 2016 S. Tacoma Way, Tacoma, Wash. 98402 Filed Aug. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 392,545 Claims. (Cl. 335127) This invention relates to telephone fire alarm warning systems and to electric switches for inclusion therein.

In the electric arts numerous situations exist wherein it isdesirable to have a number of electric circuits altered simultaneously, either by closing them or opening them. Such a situation exists, for example, in fire alarm systems, Where it is desirable to actuate a number of warning signals at difierent stations throughout a building. The telephone bells normally present in hotel rooms would provide such signals in ready-made condition if it only were possible to provide a centrally located switch which would energize all of them simultaneously in the event of fire or other emergency.

Accordingly it is the general purpose of the present invention to provide a fire alarm system (Telalarm) for hotels and other buildings having a large number of telephone-equipped rooms, wherein the telephone bells may be energized manually or automatically to serve as fire alarm signals. The bell alarm may be complemented by a message given verbally over the telephones by an operator or a tape recorder.

It is another purpose of the present invention to provide an electric switch which simultaneously will alter a plurality of electric circuits such as may be required in an alarm system, either opening the circuits or closing them, as the desired application may be.

It s another object of the present invention to provide an electric switch which is versatile in that it may be operated manually from a proximate station, or automatically from a remote station.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of a primary electric switch which may be operated through the agency of a variety of secondary switches located at various stations remote from the primary electric switch and comprising thermostat operated switches, spring operated switches, manual switches, and the like.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an electric switch well adapted for use in conjunction with fire alarm warning signals for hotels and like installations where a multiplicity of telephones are stationed throughout a building, the fire alarm system using the telephones as warning signals, actuated by the telephone operator from a switchboard, or from some other location.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of an electric switch which may be employed to actuate simultaneously a multiplicity of telephones installed in various locations, the bells of the telephones being used as warning signals and the transmission system of the telephones being used to deliver a message through the agency of a telephone operator or tape recorder.

The foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished through the use of an electric switch capable of altering simultaneously a plurality of electric circuits and comprising a head mounting a plurality of clustered pairs of spaced circuit terminals, each spaced pair being included in an electric circut. A receptacle adapted to contan a quantity of mercury or other electrically conducting material is mounted adjacent the head.

Shifting means are provided for shifting the head and receptacle relative to each other between an advanced position wherein the terminals are immersed in the electrically conducting material, completing the electric circuit,

and a retracted position wherein the terminals are withdrawn from the conducting materials, opening the electric circuit. The shifting means may comprise a lever-operated, spring-biased plunger positioned in operative relation to the receptacle.

In the alternative, the shifting means may comprise an electrically-actuated solenoid connected'to the receptacle, or the head. The solenoid may be energized from a remote station through the assistance of a secondary electric switch such as a thermostator spring-operated switch or switches located at remote locations.

The switch of the invention thus may be used in conjunction with the central switchboard of a building containing a number of telephones. By including the switch in the telephone circuits, all of the telephones may be caused to ring simultaneously to deliver an alarm signal. In addition, a warning message may be delivered, either by the switchboard operator or by a tape recorder suitably arranged and energized.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particular reference to the drawings,-wher'ein:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a switch which may be used to energize simultaneously a plurality of electric circuits, as a plurality of telephone circuits in a fire alarm system;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail view in elevation of a switch operating lever, looking in the direction of the arrows of line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a view in side elevation, partly in section, illustrating a heat responsive switch, several of which may be located throughout a building and which serve to energize the switch of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 in the event of fire.

As indicated above, the present invention basically comprises in combination atelephone circuit including a plurality of telephones located in different locations, as in a number of hotel rooms, the telephones being in an electric circuit with a unique switch which may be employed to close all of the telephone circuits simultaneously. The switch may be located in a suitable central location, as at the base of a telephone switchboard. Thus it may be mounted on base plate 10 which in turn is fixed to a structural member 12.

An electric conduit 14'containing the wires included in a multiplicity of individual circuits, such as a multiplicity of individual telephone circuits terminates in a head 16, supported in a clamp 18 bolted to base 10. The circuit terminals 20 project through the bottom of the head in clustered, spaced pairs, one pair for each circuit. In view of the spacing of the terminals of each circuit, no current can flow until the terminals are connected electrically.

Such connection is accomplished by providing adjacent head 16 a receptacle 24. This receptacle is filled with an electrically conducting material, which, in the illustrated form of the invention, comprises a quantity of mercury 26.

Means are provided for moving head 16 and receptacle 24 relative to each other as required alternately to immerse terminals 20 in mercury 26, completing the electric circuits and to remove the terminals from the mercury, opening the electric circuits.

To this end there may be provided a solenoid 28 having a moving core element 30 connected to the central segment of a yoke 32. The yoke in turn supports recepacle 24 in operative relation to terminals 120.

Solenoid 28 is energized by an electric circuit including conductors 34, 36. This circuit also may include secondary switches such as thermostatically-operated or springoperated switches, not illustrated, but positioned at remote stations. When the secondary switches are closed, solenoid 28 will be energized, elevating receptacle 24 and closing all the circuits in electrical conduit 14. Then when the solenoid is cle-energized, the reverse action takes place, receptacle 24 being lowered until the circuits in conduit 14 are broken.

Auxiliary, manually-operated means are provided for operating the switch of the invention at an immediately adjacent station.

Such means comprise a spring biased plunger 40 provided with a downwardly extending rod 42, and laterally extending latch pins 44.

Rod 42 extends through a sleeve 46 on the end of a bracket 48, bolted to base 10. A compression spring 50 is interposed between the underside of plunger 40 and the upper side of sleeve 46.

Lever-operated locking means are provided for releasably maintaining plunger 40 in cocked position.

Thus there is provided a lever arm 52, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a standard 54 by means of pin 56. The central portion of lever arm 52 is contained between a pair of spaced standards 58. A frangible retainer 60, which may be a section of glass rod, extends between standards 58.

A connecting rod 62 extends through a structural member 12. Its outer end pivotally connected to an intermediate portion of lever 52 by means of pin 64. Its inner end adjustably and pivotally is connected to a piston latch 66 through the agency of pin 68.

Piston latch 66 comprises a pair of roughly triangular plates, one on each side of plunger 40, pivotally connected to sleeve 46 by means of pin 70. The upper ends of the plates are provided with dogs 72 which engage pins 44 on plunger 40.

In the manual operation of the switch, lever 52 located, for example, at a telephone operators switchboard, may be pulled outwardly, breaking the retaining glass rod 60. This movement removes dogs 72 on latch 66 from their releasable engagement with latch pins 44. Plunger 40 thereupon is urged upwardly by compression spring 50 a distance determined by the position of an adjustable stop nut 74 threaded on the lower end of shaft 42. This movement pushes receptacle 24 upwardly until terminals 20 are immersed in mercury 26 contained in the receptacle. This closes simultaneously all the circuits contained in conduit 14 and results, for example, in the ringing of all of the telephones operated through the switchboard. Contemporaneously a verbal or tape recorded message may be delivered through the telephones.

In the alternative, the switch may be operated through the energization of solenoid 28. As has been explained above, secondary thermostaticallyor spring-operated switches located at a number of selected stations throughout the building may energize the solenoid, retracting solenoid core 30. This also results in elevating receptacle 24, closing the circuits in conduit 14 with the results above described.

A heat-sensitive, spring-operated switch suitable for use in closing an electric circuit including solenoid 28 is illustrated in FIG. 4.

The switch may be located in multiple units in areas where fire hazard is thought to exist. It is mounted on a base 80 provided with a pair of spaced spring clips 82.

The switch itself may comprise a hollow, cylindrical glass body 84 provided at each end with cap pieces 86, 88.

Electrical conductor 90 extends through cap piece 86 a spaced distance inwardly of the body. The companion electrical conductor 92 extends through cap piece 88 and into body 84 a distance sufliicently to overlap the inner with conductor 90, thus completing the circuit through solenoid 28 and energizing the multiple alarms.

It accordingly will be seen that there is provided an apparatus in which the several objects of this invention are achieved and which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. For use in simultaneously altering a plurality of electric circuits, an electric switch comprising:

(a) a head mounting a plurality of clustered pairs of spaced circuit terminals, each spaced pair being included in an interrupted electric circuit,

(b) a receptacle containing a quantity of electrically conducting material,

(0) mounting means mounting the receptacle adjacent the head, and

(d) shifting means for shfiting the head and the receptacle relative to each other between an advanced position, wherein the terminals are immersed in the conducting material, completing the electric circuits, and a retracted position, wherein the terminals are withdrawn from the conducting material, opening the electric circuits,

(e) the shifting means comprising a spring-biased plunger, trip means for releasably restraining the plunger in cocked condition, lever means, and link means interconnecting the lever means and the trip means.

2. The electric switch of claim 1 wherein the shifting means includes the trip means, and lever locking means receiving the lever for releasably maintaining it and the trip means in locked condition.

3. The electric switch of claim 2 wherein the lever locking means comprises a bifurcated standard receiving the lever, and a frangible rod supported in the standard in lever-retaining position.

4. The switch of claim 3 wherein the frangible rod comprises a glass rod.

5. For use in simultaneously altering a plurality of electric circuits, an electric switch comprising:

(a) a head mounting a plurality of clustered pairs of spaced circuit terminals, each spaced pair being included in an interrupted electric circuit,

(b) a receptacle containing a quantity of electrically conducting material,

(c) mounting means mounting the receptacle adjacent the head, and

(d) shifting means for shifting the head and the receptacle relative to each other between an advanced position, wherein the terminals are immersed in the conducting material, completing the electric circuits, and a retracted position, wherein the terminals are withdrawn from the conducting material, opening the electric circuits,

(e) the shifting means comprising electrically actuated solenoid means, connecting means connecting the solenoid means to the receptacle, the connecting means comprising a yoke, means for connecting the central portion of the yoke to the solenoid means, and means for connecting the arms of the yoke to the receptacle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,288 3/ 1891 Lahmeyer.

BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

R. N. ENVALL, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN SIMULTANEOUSLY ALTERING A PLURALITY OF ELECTRIC CIRCUITS, AN ELECTRIC SWITCH COMPRISING: (A) A HEAD MOUNTING A PLURALITY OF CLUSTERED PAIRS OF SPACED CIRCUIT TERMINALS, EACH SPACED PAIR BEING INCLUDED IN AN INTERRUPTED ELECTRIC CIRCUIT, (B) A RECEPTACLE CONTAINING A QUANTITY OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTING MATERIAL, (C) MOUNTING MEANS MOUNTING THE RECEPTACLE ADJACENT THE HEAD, AND (D) SHIFTING MEANS FOR SHIFTING THE HEAD AND THE RECEPTACLE RELATIVE TO EACH OTHER BETWEEN AN ADVANCED POSITION, WHEREIN THE TERMINALS ARE IMMERSED IN THE CONDUCTING MATERIAL, COMPLETING THE ELECTRIC CIRCUITS, AND A RETRACED POSITION, WHEREIN THE TERMINALS ARE WITHDRAWN FROM THE CONDUCTING MATERIAL, OPENING THE ELECTRIC CIRCUITS, (E) THE SHIFTING MEANS COMPRISING A SPRING-BIASED PLUNGER, TRIP MEANS FOR RELEASABLY RESTRAINING THE PLUNGER IN COCKED CONDITION, LEVER MEANS, AND LINK MEANS INTERCONNECTING THE LEVER MEANS AND THE TRIP MEANS. 